Official 2013 Kentucky after convention discussion

First off I want to thank everyone who attended and made this a successful convention.

Special thanks to the following individuals:

Michael Wolfe for always being there when Josh and I needed extra help.
Casper Cox for taking a rough idea and turning it into a great T-shirt
Dave Neely for doing the the great artwork on the Kentucky Arrow Darter that appears on the shirt.
Phil Nixon for running a great auction.
Tom Watson for keeping track of the auction, and taking our money.
Matt Thomas (state ichthyologist) and his assistant Stephanie Brandt for all of their help.
Mike lucas, and Alejandro for helping us set up prior to the convention.
Uland Thomas for his photo tank build, and leading the wettest trip.
All of our speakers, which I do not have their names in front of me now (Josh please add below)
Anyone and everyone who donated to the auction.

A big thanks to Amanda Bray and her very friendly staff at the Dupont lodge for working with us, and taking care of anything we needed. They truly were great.

I am sure I have forgotten a few individuals, so feel free to refresh my memory.

So let's get on with it.Lets hear those reports, see those fish lists, photos, stories, and tall tales!

Thanks, Matt, Josh, and all the rest for another great show! This one hit all the high points: Great location, educational speakers, good friends and beautiful fishes. Love those Bloodfin, Orangefin and Redline Darters! Our Saturday trip led by Josh Blaylock was well run, timely and took us to one great fishing spot after another. Thanks also to our fellow trip participants who worked together and made it fun for all. Don't miss next year. It will be the highlight of your fishing adventures.

I completely agree with Mark. This meeting was great. The speakers were interesting, the auction was huge, and the location was perfect. I think this is the best attended social area we have ever had. Our trip was very wet but we still managed to see quite a few species, many in some color. Josh and Matt did an excellent job.

These meetings remind me of why NANFA is important to me. Obviously, I support the grants and the mission of NANFA, but it's the opportunity to hang out with other like-minded folks for a couple of days that really makes it worth it.

#1. To Amanda Bray and ALL the staff at the Cumberland Falls DuPont Lodge. They were all terrific. I have never organized an event like this, but I can say that this staff is top notch. They were extremely accommodating to us and any need/want we had.

#2. To all the people who helped organize. Though Matt and I were the hosts, we had a ton of help. Michael, Casper, Dave, Tom, the rest of the BOD thank you.

#3. To everyone who brought something for the auction.........wow, what an auction. So many members brought items, no to mention all the items from corporations. Phil, a great job again

We certainly feel blessed to have such a wide array of speakers that ALL did a fantastic job.

#5. Uland Thomas for the photo tank build and leading the West trip.

There are a lot of people that helped in many different ways. Thanks to all of you who helped. Most of all, THANK YOU, to all of you who came. The NANFA convention is nothing without it's people.

On a personal note, I am very pleased with this years convention. The weather wasn't perfect, but it wasn't terrible on Saturday. I think all trips went very well. The sites were great and we all got to see some amazing fish. Unfortunately, Sunday was almost a wash, even though 6-7 of us got out there and finally saw the Striped Darter! The presentations were great, and the location was fantastic. I most enjoyed just getting to hang out with with everyone, even if that meant we didn't go to bed until 2am! I also enjoyed catching more species than Fritz!

Again, thank you to everyone who helped out and who came to the convention!

Thanks to Josh and Matt for another great convention. I still think we should charge people to attend the auction Phil always makes it a good show. And to all those folks who help so much usually in the background like Mike Wolfe, Casper, and those leading trips like Uland, Brian and our hosts. I came early and stayed late and really enjoyed everyone's company. Matt for the Cincinnati Chili and Turkey Foot camping and the only sunny day of collecting, Casper and Matt gathering morals and Casper for cooking a delicious frittata for Thursday's breakfast. Mike W for making his fishmas ornaments even though I could only manage to get 1 due to a combination of high bids and I'd have felt guilty taking them all. Staying late was fun as well got to visit the original Kentucky Fried Chicken and now also a museum, thanks to Casper he always knows the best local interests. Enjoyed the trips rain didn't stop us from seeing some great fish. I really planned on skipping Sunday's trip but they twisted my arm, tempting me with the potential of those striped darters. What's one more day of wet collecting! Got home this afternoon only lost 2 small long ear sunfish which was a surprise they usually travel well.

Thanks to all the folks that made this great convetion happen, Josh, Matt, Uland, the Speakers and the folks at Cumberland falls(Who were great and actully refunded my last night after checkout time. Definately a place I'll be going again if I'm in the area.) and whoever else I'm forgetting.

I learned a lot, and my fish are doing awesome! Overall a great success.

Awesome that some great photos came out of the snorkeling Bryce. The last photo is not an Arrow though. Look at it again, and it wont take long to ID it. Great having you along, and I certainly enjoyed your humor. Matt

I definitely want to echo all the high praise from everyone regarding the convention. I had a fantastic time, and this will certainly not be my last convention. It was a pleasure meeting all the faces behind the forum. I had a great time on both the Saturday trip and the Sunday, shoot-from-the-rainy-day-hip, trip. My "big year" fish list definitely grew by leaps and bounds! Kudos to both Matt and Josh. You guys both defintely led me on some great trips. I had a blast talking fish while riding along with Brian, and it was great to meet and hang out with everyone else that accompanied us on our trips. I can't say enough good things about the experience!

An absolutely huge thank you to the organizers, speakers, guests, and everyone else who made this such a success. I had a blast and saw many many gorgeous fish. I couldn't imagine anything (besides the weather) that could have been better in any way. Special thanks to Matt and Josh for helping me with last-minute lodging after other plans fell through, as well as for keeping me up until 1-2 am each morning with fish talk. One thing this convention taught me is that I absolutely need to A) make more friends that are into native fish where I live, and B) make sure I make more effort to hook up with regional NANFA outings. The effort, time, and expense pays for itself many times over with the great experiences hanging out and catching fish with you all.

Just wanted to say what a great event this was and I had a lot of fun (and got wet bigtime both Saturday and Sunday). I believe I was the only Canadian attending. Josh and Matt did a superb job organizing this and hats off to them and all the other helping hands. Wish I could have brought fish back but the photos will suffice. Mike from New York I have the spare clothing you left in my rental car after the Sunday expedition. All the best to everyone.

Just wanted to say what a great event this was and I had a lot of fun (and got wet bigtime both Saturday and Sunday). I believe I was the only Canadian attending. Josh and Matt did a superb job organizing this and hats off to them and all the other helping hands. Wish I could have brought fish back but the photos will suffice. Mike from New York I have the spare clothing you left in my rental car after the Sunday expedition. All the best to everyone.

Sid Arnold (Ottawa, Canada)

Use them for rags or whatever they'll be too large for me soon anyway....I hope.

Dryland Fish, Wetwater Fish, the dazzling colors of Blackside Dace in a mountain stream, a few new Darters, more faces... new and renewed, a CFI talk and tour, a Merry Fishmas Tree, a Folk Art Blue Sparkled Chub, Bondhus Books, sharing the Original Recipe at Sander's Cafe with a Canadian, a 3rd Redbuds in Bloom Spring, comfortable lodging in precariously perched cottages, our appropiate and peacefully nested meeting hall, a dining room view overlooking the winding Cumberland River far below, a historical postcard tour of the falls when it only cost 14 cents but now is free, Bourbon soaked Cherries dipped in dark chocolate, Blue Monday creamy candy bars, refreshing Ale8, long days and late nights, fishy photos and videos viewed from laptops, cameras and flash drives, winding drives through green rustic Kentucky alongside flowing waters flush with fish.

There were some disappointments as there were no Turtle Man sightings, Saturday rains precluding our Sunday Snorkel, the Whitley County Jail bond, bail and jump tour was closed, retrieving britches from snarling, crippled dogs and 3 fish short of netting the most species for the unstated competition which according to Matt we won anyway!

My adventure ended Thursday with Rainbow Shiners in Alabama and Tennessee Dace the day before. For another i know the adventure continues southward.